


when the mighty fall

by cauldronwrites



Category: Six of Crows Series - Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, F/F, i'd apologise for it but i don't like him, matthias is a villain in this fair warning, swan lake AU, this is v mediocre writing you have been warned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:20:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26287099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cauldronwrites/pseuds/cauldronwrites
Summary: Princess Nina’s seventeenth birthday should have been many things: a reward, a reprieve, a celebration. Instead, it marked the beginning of the end of her life.When told that she must marry and take the throne of Ravka, the princess is overcome with panic at the thought of her impending future and flees to the woods under the guise of hunting. She is distracted from her sorrow when she finds a beautiful enchanted clearing, home to a small group of lynxes. There is one who stands out amongst its companions, with its greyish black fur and eyes that seem to betray an odd sort of humanity. Nina is immediately enthralled, but fate has more in store for her yet, and the princess has no idea what will happen when night falls…(aka: it’s a ninej swan lake au)
Relationships: (background), Inej Ghafa/Nina Zenik, Jesper Fahey/Kuwei Yul-Bo
Kudos: 6
Collections: Grishaverse Big Bang 2020





	1. Act I

The sky was blue, but not quite. It was that reluctant, orange-tinged blue, the kind that begged the sun not to go; the kind that was ignored all the same. The princess stood atop a stone dais, looking out over the crowds gathered in celebration of her seventeenth birthday.

A flurry of bright dresses and uniforms had overtaken the palace courtyards. The townspeople were dancing like jolly madmen, the bright and cheerful music filling the air with warmth and joy. Smiling as she watched them, the princess hardly noticed the militant lines of suitors vying for her attention at the base of the dais. She had no interest in them. Though many of them were handsome and obscenely rich, she was sure, she valued her freedom over all else. It was too soon for her to even consider giving it up.

A server ascended the dais holding a tray of small pastries, from which the princess happily plucked a strawberry tart. With a contented sigh, she popped it into her mouth and closed her eyes, revelling in the sweet taste. She knew Zoya would disapprove, but she wasn’t all too fussed—it was her birthday, after all. _Keep the sweets coming _, she thought with a grin.__

____

“Nina,” Zoya called from her place by the empty throne, tone laced with displeasure.

____

Nina tried to make the way the smile dropped off her face less noticeable. She schooled her face into a neutral, cordial expression before turning to face her regent. “Yes, Zoya?” she said, the false politeness in her tone evident to the both of them. Zoya just gave her an exasperated look and gestured for the princess to take her place on the throne.

____

Uneasily, Nina obliged. She hated the thing. It was a monstrosity of red cushion and gaudy, ostentatious gold, and the sensation of placing herself above all others had never sat right with her. An odd notion for a future queen, but there it was. She must have been grimacing, because Zoya leant in and said, “You could at least try to avoid looking as though you’re sitting on a pin cushion rather than a throne, Princess.”

____

Nina sighed. “I’d take a pin cushion over this old thing any day.”

____

“Nina,” Zoya reprimanded, but there was something a little resigned in her tone that had the princess frowning over at her in curiosity. Zoya was never resigned. She was cold and fierce and harsh and she could make you regret your own birth with a single word, so her weak scolding was more than a little out of character.

____

“Is everything okay? Your disappointment in me is lacking its usual flavour,” said Nina, her words teasing but her voice edged with genuine concern.

____

Zoya made no comment, instead reaching behind the throne and handing her a box wrapped with a red silk bow. Nina felt her brows furrow as she watched her regent curiously. She was looking anywhere but into Nina’s eyes. Well, that can’t be good. Suspiciously, Nina let her eyes drift from Zoya to the box on her lap.

____

“Happy birthday,” Zoya mumbled, her words as stiff as her posture.

____

Nina slowly lifted the lid of the box off to reveal a beautiful, dark oak crossbow, engraved with a pattern of flowers and vines. “Oh,” she murmured softly, blinking away her tears. Carefully, she picked up the crossbow, setting the box aside as she weighed up the gorgeous weapon in her hands. Perfectly balanced, as though designed specifically to fit her hands. Knowing Zoya, it probably was. The arrows were engraved with a matching flower pattern, their tips sharp and cold against her fingers. “It’s beautiful.” Nina was far from a master huntress, but Zoya above all others knew that the rides she took into the nearby woods with her friends were the only real escape that the princess had from this life and her ever-growing list of responsibilities.

____

She looked up to thank Zoya, but the regent still wasn’t looking at her. She felt her gut twist. “Zoya,” she prompted warily. “What aren’t you telling me?”

____

Still refusing to look over at Nina, Zoya cleared her throat. “You’re of age, Nina. Long since of age. I can no longer fend off the councillors,” she said, her tone controlled. “They are demanding that you marry and take the throne by the end of the month. You are to choose a suitor at the ball tomorrow.”

____

Perhaps it was merely her imagination, but suddenly the crowds of people and the jovial music filling up the palace courtyards seemed oppressive. Suddenly the sweet taste that the tart had left in her mouth was intolerably sour. Suddenly she couldn’t breathe. Oh, saints, she couldn’t breathe. There was no air in her lungs, no air around her. Her dress was too tight, the pins in her hair too sharp, the crossbow in her hands too heavy. Everything in her periphery faded into nothing. There was no crowd, no suitors, no Zoya. All she could see was the crossbow.

____

Nina was far from a master huntress. She was far from a huntress at all. No, in that moment, she was the hunted. The army of suitors ready to wage war for her hand stood before her. The bloodred cushion of the throne stood at her back, providing no comfort. Her regent, the closest thing she had to family, stood to her right, ever loyal to the hunk of gold and fabric on which the princess sat and never loyal to the princess herself.

____

_This cannot be the price of sovereignty _, she thought.__

______ _ _

_How can I rule a country if I do not even rule myself? ___

________ _ _ _ _

She knew Zoya wouldn’t understand. Perhaps— _couldn’t _understand. She was so blinded by her sense of duty, her belief that this—denying Nina her own freedom—was what was right for Ravka, that she would never see that this would be the death of the princess. You cannot clip a bird’s wings and then demand it to fly. “Why?” Nina asked, and perhaps the brokenness in her voice was finally enough to warrant the regent to look at her.__

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

Zoya swallowed, as though forcing her emotion back down her throat and into her heart. Her blue eyes were oceans of regret, but they froze over in a flash. “You knew this was coming, Nina. It’s for the good of Ravka. A strong match will solidify our might.”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

It was the final straw.

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Am I not mighty?” Nina said, taking care to enunciate each scathing word clearly. Her grief was morphing into a slow, fiery rage. “Is that not the legacy that burns in my blood?”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Nina—”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Don’t. I understand the necessity of my becoming Queen, but marriage? You and I both know that the councillors seek only to tame me before I take my own throne,” Nina interrupted coldly. Zoya looked stricken—conflicted, even—but if her unease was supposed to comfort Nina, it was entirely unsuccessful. Their gazes were locked onto one another, and a small part of Nina was desperate for Zoya to say something, anything, to indicate even the slightest hint of remorse.

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

Instead, the regent turned her head away and said, “Perhaps that’s what you need.”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

Somehow, the buildings seemed taller, the crowds more distant, the crown on her head heavier. For a moment, she was a child sitting on a throne that was too big for her, her feet dangling uselessly off the edge of the seat, unable to reach the floor. Never in her life had she felt so alone, so helpless. Then that familiar rage was back, and before she knew it she was tearing the crown off of her head and shouldering her way through the rows of suitors at the base of the dais, crossbow in hand, eyes only able to focus on the large doors that promised her freedom, however temporary. She could hear Zoya furiously shouting her name, could feel the eyes of the crowds of confused townsfolk, but all of it was muffled and distant, as though she was underwater. The doors were swung open, allowing her through, and the short walk to the palace stables went by in a blur. Sure enough, she found her best friend, Jesper, son of Lord Fahey, in a somewhat passionate embrace with Kuwei, the son of the Shu ambassador. Unflinching, she tossed their discarded coats at them from their place on the floor and said, “Eastern woods in ten.”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

Jesper gave her a lazy grin with his swollen lips, eyes a little dazed. “Didn’t get the gift you wanted?”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

Nina just glared at him and set off to change into her hunting gear, a simple tunic and trousers. She regrouped with them by the woods, Jesper on horseback and Kuwei and Nina on foot, and the three of them set off into that wonderful wooded abyss, far away from any thrones or regents or impending marriages.

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _


	2. Act II

Jesper and Kuwei were nowhere in sight. They had hung back, perhaps actually intending to hunt, when Nina ran deeper into the woods, attempting to find some part of it she had not yet explored. It was unlikely. So often had she fled here for a reprieve that she had scoured almost every inch of this place, drinking in every new clearing or patch of wildflowers as though she’d never see them again. That said, she was far enough into the woods for the trees to lose some of their familiarity, for the branches to hang lower and thicker. Everything was bathed in the golden light of sunset, so beautiful, and yet so dangerous. Strictly speaking, she wasn’t supposed to be in these woods at night. Especially not alone. They were home to some particularly fearsome nocturnal animals, and Nina was certainly not a good enough hunter to ignore that danger. But ignore it she did.

She was about to turn around, the trees becoming denser before her, when she caught a glimpse of something that seemed to glow green. Curiosity piqued, she crept up to the gap between the two tree trunks, and her breath caught. Before her was the most beautiful clearing she’d ever seen. Arranged in a near perfect circle, the trees stood with shining silver trunks and near iridescent green leaves, their glow casting a light, greenish hue on everything. Sprouting up around the edges of the clearing were wildflowers like Nina had never seen before—so vibrant they were almost painful to look at, and yet it was almost impossible to look away. It was magical in itself, but what really caught Nina’s eye was what she beheld in the centre of the clearing.

“Saints,” she breathed in awe.

A small group of about eight lynxes elegantly paced throughout the clearing, occasionally brushing up against one another. They were all silvery white, the black tips of their pointed ears stark against the rest of their fur, save for one, who lay in the middle of the clearing resignedly. It was a sleek greyish black, with big dark eyes that seemed…sad, almost. It was strange, but it was the only way the princess could think to describe it. She must have made a move, because those sad eyes snapped up to meet hers. Atavistically, her hand tightened around her crossbow, but there was no need. The lynx only regarded her with its odd, curious, almost human eyes. There was something about it that Nina couldn’t quite put her finger on, something that had her enthralled. At least half an hour must have passed of princess regarding lynx, lynx regarding princess, before Jesper and Kuwei caught up to her.

“Nina, saints above, we thought we’d lost you. We should really be getting back now, it’s almost dusk,” Jesper said, relief evident in his words.

With a surprised start, Nina tore herself away from her place between the tree trunks, half afraid it would be gone when she turned around. “You two head back,” she said, reluctantly turning to face them. “I’m staying here a little longer.”

Kuwei looked at her as though she’d just told them she’d grown a tail. “First of all, you know we can’t just leave you in the middle of the woods, right? And second, what on earth is so interesting that you want to stay here even longer?” he asked.

Somehow, the clearing and the lynxes felt like something personal, something meant for her and no one else. Perhaps that was why she said, “I just need some time before I go back. I can’t face Zoya right now.”

Jesper frowned. “What actually happened? You ran off before we could ask.”

Nina gave a mirthless chuckle. “Haven’t you heard? I’m getting married,” she said macabrely.

Both of her friends’ faces dropped, and Nina knew she’d won. “Nina, I’m so sorry—”

“It’s fine,” Nina interrupted Jesper before he could sour her mood with reminders of the day’s events. “I just…I need to be alone right now.”

Kuwei and Jesper shared an uneasy look. Finally, Kuwei sighed. “If you’re not back by midnight, we’ll come and find you. And we’ll get Zoya to bring a search party,” he said pointedly, and Nina winced, imagining Zoya’s anger.

“Thank you both,” Nina smiled, pulling the both of them into a hug despite their protests. “Now get out of here before I shoot you with my fancy new crossbow.”

They both chuckled, Jesper swinging himself up onto his horse and then pulling Kuwei up behind him. “Please don’t die. We’ll never live it down,” Jesper said, eyes soft despite his teasing.

Nina just rolled her eyes, waited for them to go, and then turned back to the clearing in the trees, whispering a silent prayer of thanks that it hadn’t disappeared somehow. The strange lynx was still there, eyes seemingly having never left her spot between the tree trunks.

Tentatively, Nina squeezed through the trees, the rapidly setting sun of no concern in this shining paradise. Many of the lynxes kept wary eyes on her now, but she could only bring herself to look at the dark one. She knelt on the floor a few feet away from it, slowly placing her crossbow on the ground as a sort of gesture of peace. The lynx inclined its head, as though nodding in acknowledgement at the gesture, and a smile fought its way onto Nina’s lips. So beautiful, and so strange. It was as through there was some sort of magnetic force pulling them towards one another. The princess couldn’t understand her obsession with the lynx, and the lynx seemed somewhat confused itself, though its calm, soothing demeanour went untarnished.

Dimly, Nina was aware that what little light the sun had offered had now disappeared, succumbing to the moon and her star-speckled night sky, and so the clearing was lit only by the glow from the trees and flowers. Only this phenomenon could have distracted the princess from her observations of the lynx, for in amongst all of this surrealness, she could never have guessed what would happen next. All of the lynxes stood up, heads raised towards the moon as though in prayer to a deity, and before her eyes their fur began to shift and change into lovely brown skin. They wore beautiful Suli silks, their limbs lengthening as they each completed these incarnations and were all at once human.

Nina was still knelt on the ground before them, eyes wide in shock and fear and something like reverence. Each of them was beautiful, and around the princess’s own age. But there was one who caught her eye even in human form, one who brought Nina out of her dazed reverie as she stared at the princess with curious confusion, and something akin to hope in her wary smile.

“It’s you,” Nina said, incredulity shaping her words. Something in her knew that this girl was the dark lynx who had had her so enthralled only moments before. The effect was no less dizzying when the girl was human, though Nina’s nervous, quickening pulse told her that perhaps there was more than just awe in her heart.

The girl’s small smile remained intact as she took a small step towards Nina. “I’m Inej,” she said softly, her voice like a lullaby to Nina’s enchanted ears.

Nina slowly stood up, taking her own step towards Inej. “I’m Nina,” she returned, her voice equally as soft. It was simple and sweet—there was nothing wrong or grim about it—and yet that meeting of their shy eyes spelled catastrophe in its purest, most devastating form.

Love.

Neither of them could have known this. Oblivious to the cogs of fate that had begun to turn all around them, Nina dared a step closer to Inej. She was really quite lovely, the princess thought. It was as though someone had plucked a symphony from the strings of a violin and threaded it through Inej’s very being.

“How did this happen to you? How can you…transform like that?” Nina asked, leaving no more than a foot of distance between herself and Inej.

The other girls had huddled close together, staring warily at Nina and whispering to each other. Sadness wove through Inej’s otherwise beautiful features, and Nina wanted to curse herself for bringing about such a thing.

“There is a sorceress,” Inej said carefully, “Who is evil beyond redemption. She stole us away from our parents and forced them to watch as she cursed us to live out our days as lynxes. When our parents wept for us, their tears enchanted the soil of this clearing and bound us to it. The curse is lifted at sundown every evening, but by the time the sun rises again, we are forced back into our lynx forms.”

Nina was only dimly aware that she was doing a poor job of hiding her horror. “But that’s terrible!” she cried. “Who is this sorceress? I will hunt her down myself if I must.”

Inej’s eyes softened. “Her name is Van Houden. Heleen Van Houden. I have heard that she lives in the castle, disguised as a mentor to the princess.”

Nina staggered back as though she’d been wounded. It couldn’t _possibly _be true. She said as much to Inej, whose brows knitted together in concern.__

__“I assure you, this is a name I could never forget. Forgive me, I meant no harm,” she said worriedly._ _

__Nina didn’t understand how she could’ve missed such a thing as this. Had she not seen Inej transform before her own eyes, she might have called the other girl a liar and washed her hands of it. Heleen had been mentoring her for years. She was almost as dear to her as Zoya. It seemed unfathomable that she could have been a sorceress the whole time. Not only that, but the cruelty of her actions towards these girls betrayed an evil that must have corrupted her very soul. How could Nina have been so blind?_ _

__“Tell me how to break the curse,” said Nina, channelling all of her anger and indignation into this one task. First, she would save these girls. Then she would get them justice._ _

__Inej hesitated. Nina realised that the other girls had crept closer to them as they’d been speaking, and were now looking hopefully between Nina and Inej. Inej opened her mouth and abruptly closed it again, as though unsure how to reveal this next piece of information._ _

__“I…Well, it is both simple and complex,” she said carefully._ _

__“Whatever it is, I swear to you, it shall be done,” Nina vowed solemnly._ _

__Inej glanced back at the other girls, seemingly taking strength from their encouraging nods. “I am the Lynx Queen. Therefore it is to me that someone pure in heart must confess their love. The moment they do, the curse will be broken and we shall all of us be free.”_ _

__Nina swallowed. To pledge love to Inej—it did not seem like such a daunting task. In fact, her pulse jumped at the thought of it. The Lynx Queen was brave and beautiful, and in her eyes burned the same love for her people that Nina had seen in her own reflection a million times before. Loving Inej seemed right, as though the Saints had crafted Nina for that very purpose. Inej was the symphony that Nina’s soul had been born to sing. With that in mind, Nina dropped down on one knee before Inej, looking simultaneously like a warrior about to be knighted and an apostle kneeling at the foot of her deity._ _

__“I cannot speak to the purity of my heart before this moment,” Nina said, her voice soft and fierce, a perfect contradiction, “But I can tell you that the space you have taken within it has left no room for any lingering taint.”_ _

__A collective gasp rippled amongst the cursed girls. They clutched tightly to one another, wide eyes trained on Nina, and the air was thick with anticipation of the princess’s next words. Inej swallowed delicately, throat bobbing as her eyes lined with silver.  
“I vow to bring an end to this evil that has been done to you. I vow to bring you justice, or at the very least the opportunity to take it for yourself. And above all else, I vow to love—”_ _

__“That’s quite enough of that.”_ _

__Nina went rigid. At once, the crowd the girls had formed around Nina and Inej dissolved as each of them fled to the edges of the clearing, as far away from the sorceress as they could get. Inej’s expression was one of unmistakable fear, but that fear was quickly replaced by an anger that seemed to radiate from her in waves. Her eyes burned with the fire of desecrated Saints. She spun around to face the intruder._ _

__Heleen Van Houden stood smirking at the opposite end of the clearing. The sight of it incited a wrath within Nina that scared her with its enormity._ _

__How _dare _she. How dare she don the blue dress gifted to her by Nina herself and flaunt it like a cruel joke. How dare she stand proudly in this place built from the pain she had inflicted and seek only to inflict more. How dare she rip these girls from their families, from their own lives, and keep them caged here like animals.___ _

____Nina’s rage was a living, breathing entity, and it was out for blood._ _ _ _

____“You are far from home, Princess,” Heleen said, her voice like a snake slithering into Nina’s ears and poisoning her brain with its venom._ _ _ _

____Inej darted a quick look in her direction, eyes widening. It took a moment for Nina to realise that the Lynx Queen was only now discovering who Nina was: the Crown Princess of Ravka._ _ _ _

____“On the contrary,” Nina challenged, jaw clenched as she slowly stood from the ground, “I am the closest to home that I have ever been.” She took a step towards Inej to illustrate her point. “Closer now.”_ _ _ _

____Under other circumstances, the small smile that curved Inej’s lips and the flush that overcame her face might have knocked the wind out of Nina; now they served only to strengthen her._ _ _ _

____“Valiant though your theatrics may be, I assure you they are quite wasted here. _She _,” Heleen said, lip curling as she jerked her head in Inej’s direction, “Is of no concern to you. I advise you to leave this place, Princess, and never return.”___ _ _ _

______“Your days of advising me are over, Heleen. You hold no dominion here,” Nina all but snarled._ _ _ _ _ _

______Heleen let out a high, tinkling laugh, tossing her head back and showing off her infamous diamond necklace. Nina’s hands itched to choke her with it._ _ _ _ _ _

______“This place _is _my dominion, you foolish girl. Even you are powerless here.”___ _ _ _ _ _

________As though to illustrate her point, she waved a hand in Nina’s direction. At first, nothing seemed to have changed—then Nina felt vines wrap around her ankles just as her legs were pulled out from under her. She went flying, hitting the ground painfully. Inej’s distressed cry was cut short by sounds of struggling, and Nina looked up just in time to see her locked in Heleen’s arms, her back to the sorceress’s chest, flailing like a wildcat. Nina screamed in outrage just as Heleen whispered something in Inej’s ears, and she abruptly stopped moving._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Her lovely face was devoid of any expression, her dark eyes lifeless and unfeeling. An uneasy murmur rippled from the girls huddled around the outside of the clearing._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Inej?” Nina said gently, pushing herself up onto her knees and ignoring the vines that tightened around her ankles in protest._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Inej made no response._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“It’s no use. She cannot hear you. Even if she could, she wouldn’t be able to do anything about it,” Heleen smirked, untangling herself from Inej. “She is under my spell.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Release her,” Nina commanded. Her voice held the authority of a thousand kings, even as she was knelt on the forest floor and held hostage by enchanted vines._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Heleen just laughed. “Leave, Princess. Do not come looking for her again.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I will not leave without freeing her. Without freeing them all.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________The smile that curved Heleen’s mouth was wicked. “I’m afraid you don’t have much of a choice.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________The vines holding Nina in place loosened all of a sudden, and she staggered to her feet just as Heleen snapped her fingers. The sound rang around the clearing like a gunshot. As one, the girls on the outside of the clearing moved to form a wall between Nina and Heleen and Inej. Their movements were odd—jagged and broken, almost, as though they were puppets dancing at the end of a string. Identical blank expressions all stared at Nina in silent warning. She took a wary step closer to them, and they moved closer to each other, blocking Heleen and Inej from view._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Please,” Nina begged. “I have to get to her.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Whatever spell Heleen had cast on them was too strong. They stared at her, impassive, and did not move._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“It’s been a pleasure, Your Highness,” Heleen called._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Wait!” Nina shouted._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________It was too late. A geyser of white smoke erupted from behind the wall of girls, and Nina could only catch a glimpse of Inej’s blank expression before both she and Heleen were gone. The moment the smoke cleared, the girls all melted back to the edges of the clearing, the spell apparently broken, sobbing and consoling each other._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Nina made her way over to the scorch mark left on the ground from Heleen’s departure and, without ceremony, dropped to her knees. She grazed a hand over the burned ground. It was still warm. Her thoughts kept straying back to the moment the light had left Inej’s eyes; it had looked so _wrong _. Everything that made her Inej—every melody that sang in her blood—was stripped from her in a matter of seconds. She hadn’t even fought Heleen as the sorceress swept her away in that infernal cloud of smoke. Gone, just like that. Nina still couldn’t wrap her head around it.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Inej was gone._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Nina was alone._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	3. Act III

Nina had no recollection of how she made it back to the palace. There was a vague memory tugging at her—she had gone to Zoya and informed her of Heleen’s true nature, and Zoya had not believed her. She’d dubbed Nina hysterical and sent her to bed to sleep it off. When Nina had tried to bring it up again that morning, Zoya had silenced her with a look.

Still, her thoughts kept straying to Inej. Where was she? Was she okay? What had Heleen done with her? And the other girls from the clearing, who had shooed her away so they could be alone in their grief, were they alright?

“Princess.”

The barely constrained anger in Zoya’s voice snapped Nina out of her thoughts. She realised that the suitor standing before her was waiting for her to answer his question. Oh, saints, what was his question? She couldn’t even recall how this conversation had started in the first place.

“I’m terribly sorry, my lord, could you repeat your question?” she asked, injecting her tone with as much bashful politeness as she could muster.

His smile was strained. “May I have this dance?” he asked.

Nina had barely nodded her consent before he swept her up into the crowd of twirling couples. The large, floor-to-ceiling windows bathed the ballroom in the lovely orange glow of sunset. Ladies were dressed in shimmering gold and deepest crimson, men decked out in teal military dress or gaudy white and gold jackets. The suitor twirled her around in neat, perfunctory circles, expertly navigating the sea of dancing nobility. His face was handsome, but it was nothing compared to Inej’s gentle beauty; the twinkle in her eye when she smiled, the melodic lilt of her accent when she spoke.

Tonight Zoya expected Nina to pick a husband from the small army of suitors who had arrived for her birthday celebrations. The suitors were easy to spot in the crowd—for a start, their eyes were glued to Nina wherever she went. Most of them seemed nice enough, but some had a hunger in their expressions that scared her. It didn’t matter either way. They were here to win her hand and her heart, but she could give them neither.

She had no hand to win. It already belonged to another. She had no heart to give. A sorceress had stolen it away in the dead of night, and she feared she would never see it again.

The music ended with a dramatic flourish, and all the couples separated so they could applaud the musicians. The suitor bowed to her and left her alone on the outskirts of the dance floor. She caught Zoya’s questioning eye from across the room and shook her head. Nina would not be marrying him. She could’ve sworn she heard Zoya’s sigh even from where she was standing, even as the musicians began to play a new song.

“Excuse me, Princess. May I have this dance?”

Nina jumped half out of her skin. The new suitor had come from nowhere. She sent a pleading glance in Zoya’s direction, but the regent was glaring at her so hard that Nina had no choice but to turn and say, “Of course, my lord.”

She understood Zoya’s warning. If she wasn’t going to pick a suitor tonight, it was the least she could do to dance with each of them. Off they went, spinning into the crowd of dancers. When he realised his attempts at charming her, or even just conversing with her, were worthless, he let the rest of the dance pass in silence. Once it was done, he barely had time to bow to her before another suitor arrived to take his place.

That was how the evening went, Nina being passed from suitor to suitor to suitor in a game of ‘Pass the Princess’, up until the trumpets sounded. Nina froze, almost tripping her partner over. The music faded away. Everyone seemed to be holding their breath, or maybe it was just Nina. Was the ballroom hotter than it had been mere moments ago? She couldn’t be sure.

The name was announced.

“Heleen Van Houden, Royal Advisor.”

The string of curses Nina let loose was so colourful that the suitor standing opposite her actually blushed. She paid him no mind, already marching over to the large double doors acted as the ballroom’s main entrance. People shot her reproachful looks as she practically shoved them out of her way, making a beeline for the gleam of Heleen’s blonde hair in the crowd.

Nina finally burst free from the sea of people and came to an abrupt halt. There was Heleen, smirking, staring at Nina as though she’d been waiting for her. But it wasn’t the sight of Heleen that had ended the thoughts of vengeance ricocheting violently around her head. It was the sight of the girl standing at her side.

Inej was resplendent in her silky purple gown, her brown skin warm in the light of the chandeliers, which were glowing now that night had fallen.

“Inej,” Nina breathed.

The smile Inej gave her almost brought Nina to her knees.

Nina all but ran over to her, taking Inej’s face in her hands and scanning it for any sign of injury or distress. Inej gently placed her own hands over Nina’s and pulled them away, only to interlink their fingers.

“I’m okay,” she said, her voice soft. There was something odd about it, some strange quality that Nina couldn’t recall being there last night. Inej distracted her from it by softly teasing, “Well, aren’t you going to ask me to dance, _Princess? _”__

____

Nina grinned. “Inej, my dear, song of my soul and heart of my heart, will you do me the honour of joining me in a dance?”

__

Inej laughed, a sound Nina could listen to for the rest of her life without ever tiring. In the back of her mind, there was a nagging thought that kept pushing at her. Wasn’t she meant to be doing something? Or talking to someone? She shoved the feeling down and let Inej drag her onto the dance floor. Everything else could wait.

__

Dancing with Inej was akin to what Nina thought it would feel like to walk on a cloud. It was like floating through heaven without ever worrying about falling. They laughed and smiled until their cheeks ached, not talking about anything in particular, but simply revelling in each other’s company. Nina’s head was fuzzy, her thoughts muddled as though she’d had too much to drink, but the only thing she was drunk on and would ever be drunk on again was Inej.

__

From the corner of her eye, Nina spotted Zoya watching her. The regent was smiling in approval. This struck Nina as odd for two reasons: first and foremost, Zoya’s smiles were rare and coveted things, and Nina hadn’t been on the receiving end of many of them in her life; the second reason was that Zoya’s approval was even rarer than her smiles, and Nina doubted that Zoya would see Inej as a partner worthy of said approval. As quickly as these notions came, however, they evaporated, as the sound of applause filled the ballroom.

__

Nina’s attention fixed itself back onto Inej’s concentrated face— _what is she concentrating on, I wonder? _—and she was hit with a wave of emotion so overwhelming she had to remind herself to breathe. She knew what she had to do.__

_____ _

She guided Inej across the ballroom, leading her over to a small, empty space by one of the windows. A cool breeze flooded in through that window, which had been opened to ease the oppressive heat from the room, and it rustled both of their skirts as they stood there staring at one another.

_____ _

“I have been selfish,” Nina began, and cut Inej off before she could interrupt. “No, no, I have. You are still trapped by the curse, and I’ve been indulging myself by dancing with you. Forgive me.”

_____ _

Inej smiled. “There’s nothing to forgive.”

_____ _

Nina squeezed her hand with a smile. “I know that this is not the time or place for this sort of thing, but I cannot bear the thought of waiting another moment. I do not wish to prolong your suffering, because it has become mine, and I’m afraid I must be selfish once more and declare that I can withstand it no longer.”

_____ _

Something moved from outside the window, but Nina dismissed it as some kind of plant swaying in the wind.

_____ _

“Nina, what are you saying?” Inej asked, lovely eyes wide.

_____ _

“Marry me. Marry me and be free. Marry me and let me spend the rest of my life loving you as I do now, with all of my heart and spirit and soul. There is nothing I would not do for you. There is no place in this world I would rather be than by your side. Marry me, and let me prove just how much I love you.”

_____ _

There was a small, horrified gasp from outside the window. Nina looked over just in time to see a girl dressed in familiar Suli silks fleeing from where she must have been perched by the window, her black hair flowing behind her like an ebony wedding veil.  
Nina could hardly get out her cry of, “No!” before Heleen appeared in front of her, blocking her from chasing after the real Inej.

_____ _

Heleen sighed. “Oh, that’s a shame. I was hoping you wouldn’t realise just yet.”

_____ _

Then she snapped her fingers, and the Inej to whom Nina had just proposed marriage suddenly morphed into a boy around her own age, with long, straggly blonde hair and a tough, unforgiving face. _A spell _. Heleen had put her under a spell, made her think she was dancing with Inej when really she had been dancing with this cruel-faced boy.__

_______ _ _ _

Several things began to make sense. Zoya’s approval, for a start—she’d thought Nina had finally found a suitor she was happy with. The strange quality of what Nina had thought was Inej’s voice. Her muddled thoughts, clearly some sort of side effect of Heleen’s spell work. It was all blaringly obvious where it had been entirely inconspicuous only moments before.

_______ _ _ _

“Who is this?” Nina demanded, gesturing to the boy. He straightened in indignation at her disgusted tone of voice.

_______ _ _ _

Heleen’s smile was serpentine. “My apprentice, Matthias Helvar. He’s very dear to me. I was oh-so-pleased to hear about your upcoming nuptials.”

_______ _ _ _

Nina surprised all three of them by taking Heleen’s throat and slamming her against the wall.

_______ _ _ _

“Don’t take this the wrong way, dear advisor, but I would sooner marry a bowl of human toenails than marry your little apprentice,” she said saccharinely, tightening her grip on the sorceress’s throat. Nina smiled sweetly to embellish her point, and then spat in Heleen’s face for good measure.

_______ _ _ _

Before either Matthias or Heleen could react, Nina threw herself through the open window and sprinted away, desperately attempting to put distance between herself and the sorceress.

_______ _ _ _

_Never again _, she vowed to herself.__

_________ _ _ _ _ _

_I will never let anyone fall prey to her again _.__

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Nina thought she should have killed Heleen back there in the ballroom, but the only weapon she had was the decorative sword sheathed at her hip. It wasn’t as though she could just run the sorceress through then and there and expect everyone to go back to their waltzing, though she entertained herself with the thought as she ran. Mainly, her thoughts had been focused on Inej. She must have been headed back to the clearing, and Nina had to catch up, had to find her, had to explain herself.

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Had to tell Inej she loved her.

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

She pushed herself to run faster, hurtling into the forest at full speed. Heleen would be after the both of them soon. Nina had to get to the clearing before she did.

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

The fate of the love of her life depended on it.

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	4. Act IV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> last one babeyy

When Nina arrived at the clearing, she was covered in small cuts and bruises from the various plants and low-hanging branches in the forest. Her feet were aching and her chest was burning from the effort it took to breathe normally again. She waited just outside the clearing for her pulse to calm and her breathing to slow, and then stepped through the gap in the trees.

Once again, the beauty of the clearing hit her like a sucker punch to the stomach. This time, however, she didn’t have time to take it all in. Her gaze immediately fell on the group of girls huddled in the middle of the clearing, bathed in the incandescent glow from the plants and trees, consoling one another. At their centre sat Inej. Her head was rested on one of the girls’ shoulders, her legs curled beneath herself as quiet tears streamed down her face. Nina took a step forward and was immediately stopped short by the chorus of hisses the girls sent her way. Their eyes were filled with hurt and anger in equal measure. Nina didn’t think she’d ever seen a sight so terrible. _I was supposed to help these girls, and all I have done is failed them _, she thought. Then Inej looked up and met Nina’s gaze.__

____

Nina fell to her knees.

____

“Forgive me,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “Forgive me. I beg you. I was tricked.”

____

Inej wiped the tears from her face and raised her chin, as though in defiance. The slight wobbling of her lower lip was the only thing that betrayed the effort it took for her to be so strong. “I think that out of the two of us, Your Highness, I am the one who has been tricked.”

____

Nina flinched at the title. Inej swallowed, but said nothing of it.

____

“Inej, please, listen to me. It was Heleen—Van Houden, I mean. She cast a spell on that boy.”

____

Inej faltered. “A spell?”

____

Nina nodded, slowly standing and making her way over to Inej. The girls watched her warily but let her pass. Nina came to kneel before Inej, who straightened at the princess’s proximity.

____

“I don’t know what it was, exactly. But she cast some sort of spell on him—or me, I suppose—that made him look like you. He had your face, your voice, your smile. It put me into a sort of haze; I couldn’t think rationally. One minute we were dancing and the next I had just proposed. It wasn’t until I saw you that I was snapped out of it, and then it was too late,” Nina explained desperately.

____

Inej looked conflicted. It was obvious that she wanted to believe Nina, but there was something guarded in her expression. The look was a familiar one to Nina. It was the look of a child who had been failed too many times, and no longer knew who—or how—to trust.

____

“I would do anything for you, Inej. Anything. Tell me what I have to do to prove it to you. Tell me, and I’ll do it.”

____

Something in her words brought the walls Inej had erected around herself crashing down. Perhaps it was her tone. It was that of a woman dying of thirst and begging for the rain to find her.

____

“You don’t have to do anything,” Inej whispered, taking Nina’s face in her hands. “I forgive you. I forgive you.”

____

Nina let out a small, quiet sob and let her forehead fall against Inej’s. She whispered apologies again and again, and Inej just kept repeating those beautiful, magical words. _I forgive you. I know. I forgive you. _When Nina finally brought herself to look at Inej’s lovely, dark eyes, their foreheads still pressed gently together, the entire clearing seemed to inhale sharply, waiting.__

______ _ _

It was Inej who moved first. She gently pressed her lips against Nina’s, rising up onto her knees to reach. It was soft, pure, and sweet—as was their way—and it was world-changing. The flowers bloomed bigger and the trees glowed brighter, and for a moment, everything seemed to be right in the world. Inej tasted like a lullaby and felt like a dream. Every subtle brush of her lips became the melody to a song that Nina could listen to for the rest of her life. She was sure that she could hear their souls singing in perfect harmony, or maybe it was just the whistle of the wind through the trees. Perhaps that was their song. Perhaps the rustling of the leaves and the wind’s secret melodies were theirs, and had been all along.

______ _ _

“How touching.”

______ _ _

Nina and Inej abruptly broke apart, both of them scrambling to stand up and put themselves between the sorcerers and the girls. Heleen stood smirking, Matthias stone-faced by her side, but that wasn’t what drew the horrified gasp from Inej.

______ _ _

They had large yellow eyes, like a cat’s, but more sinister. Each of their hands held a set of claws as long as their fingers, and their skin was pallid and covered in strange black markings, akin to a tiger’s stripes.

______ _ _

So these were their true forms. As hideous outside as they were inside.

______ _ _

“You made a promise when you asked my apprentice to marry you, Your Highness. I expect you to honour it,” Heleen said, pacing around the clearing like a lioness on the prowl.

______ _ _

“I also said I would rather marry a bowl of human toenails, but you seem to have conveniently forgotten that part,” said Nina. Inej laughed shakily.

______ _ _

Heleen glared. “This is not a game. You will marry him, or you will face my wrath.”

______ _ _

Nina didn’t hesitate. She pulled her sword from its sheath and brandished it tauntingly in the sorceress’s direction.

______ _ _

“Try me.”

______ _ _

Heleen’s lip curled. She nodded at Matthias, and Nina barely had time to block the swing of his sword with her own before he was upon her. She shoved Inej out of the way and let herself be drawn into the fight. The clang of their swords rang out through the clearing like church bells. He was good, certainly, but she was better. She parried every blow he aimed at her, dodged his fist every time he tried to simply punch her into submission. He had no grace, no eloquence in swordplay. It was all brute force, and though Nina’s arms were tiring, she could still hold him off well enough on her own. She actually found herself grinning after a little while, and it was then that his anger reached its peak. He snapped his fingers—similar to what Nina had seen Heleen do on multiple occasions—and a vine came arcing towards her from a nearby tree. She sliced it in half before it could reach her.

______ _ _

“Now that hardly seems fair,” she said dryly.

______ _ _

Grunting, he snapped his fingers again and two more vines flew at her. She sliced one away, but the second vine wrapped itself around her sword and tugged it from her grasp, tossing it onto the floor. She cursed. Matthias swung his sword at her again, and it was all she could do to duck and dodge each of his attacks before they hit her. He nicked her arm, slicing her bicep, and she had to drop to the floor and roll to avoid being caught by another blow.

______ _ _

“Nina!”

______ _ _

Nina followed the sound of Inej’s voice and looked over to see the Lynx Queen watching worriedly. Then she saw the glint of metal behind Inej.

______ _ _

“Behind you!” Nina called. Both Matthias and Inej looked over their shoulders, and Nina used the moment to her advantage. She kicked Matthias in the stomach, and he dropped his sword from the force of it, staggering backwards. “Now, Inej!”

______ _ _

Inej, sword in hand, charged on Matthias. He barely had time to turn around before she smacked him over the head with the flat part of the blade. His eyes rolled into the back of his head and he dropped to the floor, apparently unconscious. Nina quickly picked up his abandoned sword and ran to Inej’s side, both of them brandishing their weapons in Heleen’s direction. The wind was picking up speed now, the trees swaying with the force of it, causing Nina and Inej’s hair to whip around them ferociously.

______ _ _

“What now, Heleen? It seems as though your lackey has come down with a nasty headache,” Nina shouted over the wind.

______ _ _

Heleen snarled. She clapped her hands together, and the sound brought with it the rumbling of thunder. Matthias’s limp body was rolled towards Heleen by an invisible force, and then all hell broke loose. The ground beneath their feet began to shake and tremble. The girls all let out terrified cries and ran to the edges of the clearing, the middle of which seemed to serve as the epicentre of this magical earthquake. The ground cracked and split down the centre, and Nina grabbed Inej’s hand and ran, heading for the outskirts of the clearing. The earth was shaking more violently now, so their sprint became more of a desperate stumble. Then the ground started to cave in on itself. Nina reached the edge of the clearing just in time to avoid the huge chunk of earth that fell away where she’d been running only moments ago. Inej’s steps faltered. Nina tugged Inej against herself and held on tight, waiting for the shaking of the ground to stop.

______ _ _

It finally did, but Heleen wasn’t done. There was now an enormous crater in the centre of the clearing, and with another loud clap and a sinister grin, Heleen used her magic to raise a twisting, sentient sea of tree roots, thorns and vines from beneath the earth. The glow from the flowers as the edge of the clearing seemed to gutter out. The crater was so thick with vines and thorns that they could no longer see the bottom of it. It was filled to the brim, each twisting brambly limb daring them to take a step closer and be devoured.

______ _ _

“You have a choice to make, Nina,” Heleen called over the wind, her grotesque face pulled taut into the mockery of a genuine smile. “Marry my apprentice, or I throw the Lynx Queen into the pit. I assure you, it will not be a pleasant death.”

______ _ _

Nina and Inej were still locked in a tight embrace, shielding each other from the roar of the wind. Nina clutched Inej tighter. “If you throw her in, I will only jump in after her. There is no life for me if she is not in it,” she yelled.

______ _ _

“Don’t be a fool, Princess. Why condemn both of you to this fate when neither of you need meet it?” shouted Heleen.

______ _ _

“I will not damn these girls to a life of captivity, a life ruled by you. And I will not damn myself to such a life either.”

______ _ _

“You do not have a choice!” Heleen screamed, and to illustrate her point, she clapped her hands together a third time. This clap of thunder was the loudest. All of the girls scattered around the clearing slowly transformed back into their lynx forms, whimpering and crying as they did. Inej remained human, and watched in horror as her sisters were rendered powerless.

______ _ _

“No!” she cried. “It’s not yet sunrise! Please!”

______ _ _

Heleen’s eyes were filled with pure, unadulterated evil. If Inej was a symphony, Heleen was the war drums that drowned that symphony out. Nina could feel Inej trembling in her arms, and felt her own anger taking hold.

______ _ _

“You can stop this, Nina. If you do not marry my apprentice, they will remain lynxes for the rest of their lives. They will never be free. I will see to it myself,” Heleen called. The wind roared even louder, but not loud enough to drown out the blood rushing past Nina’s ears.

______ _ _

What could she do? How could she stop this? Regardless of whether or not she married Matthias, the girls would never be free. Inej would end up trapped or dead, and so would Nina. She could not bear the thought of forcing the girls into a life of captivity without any reprieve, and yet how could she marry Matthias? How could she do that to Inej, and eradicate their last chance at freedom?

______ _ _

_Freedom. ___

________ _ _ _ _

What had Inej said about their curse?

________ _ _ _ _

_I am the Lynx Queen. Therefore it is to me that someone pure in heart must confess their love. The moment they do, the curse will be broken and we shall all of us be free. ___

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

It was as though she had spent her entire life with her eyes closed, and they had just been opened for the first time. Suddenly, the path was clear.

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I would sooner die with Inej than marry Matthias,” said Nina.

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

When Inej looked at her, there was no fear in her eyes, only a question. Nina nodded. This was the way. A small, sad smile blossomed on Inej’s mouth, and Nina kissed it sweetly.

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“You are a fool, Nina Zenik,” Heleen called, preparing to clap again.

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Perhaps. But this is not a question of foolishness,” said Nina. The wind quietened, as though her words had captured its attention. “It is a question of love. Do you know what we ask of love, Heleen?”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

Heleen’s eyes narrowed. Nina didn’t wait for an answer.

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“We ask, ‘Will you stay with me?’. And the answer is always, ‘Yes.’”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

Inej laced her fingers through Nina’s.

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“There is nothing in this world so loyal as love. It sings us to sleep when we are sick, and soothes us when we are in pain. It heals our wounds and mends our hearts. I know this because I have been lucky enough to be known by love, and to know it in return. I have known that love tastes like a lullaby and feels like a dream. I have known love to be a song that my soul was born to sing. I have known that it is my reason for being, for existing, for standing before you as I do now, without fear of death or what comes after,” Nina said fiercely. “I know love. Her name is Inej.”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

Inej’s eyes were filled with unshed tears. “I love you,” she whispered. “You are the answer to every question I have ever asked. You are the love of my life. If we die and find ourselves born again, I will love you in that life too, and every life after. You are the greatest blessing the Saints ever bestowed upon me.”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

Nina smiled, brushing away the stray tear that rolled down Inej’s cheek. Heleen’s expression contorted with fury, and once again she made to clap and bring about some new magical horror. Nina and Inej didn’t let her. They both took a deep breath, clutching tightly to each other’s hands, and jumped.

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

A lot can happen in three seconds. A sorceress can cast a spell. A pair of lovers can fall to their death.

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

A curse can break.

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

The ocean of roots and thorns and vines had been hungry. The princess and the Lynx Queen were engulfed faster than any of them could blink. Just as quickly, the girls who had been lynxes were girls once more. The thunder that rocked the sky from the sorceress’s spell was nothing compared to the hurricane that the girls had become, fuelled by their anger and grief.

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

Blood for blood. An eye for an eye. Whichever saying you chose, the meaning was clear: one way or another, people would get even. But these girls had no interest in getting even. Even was fair. Even was right. There was nothing fair or right about what had been done to them, or what had happened to their Queen and her love. There was no justice in getting even, and the princess had promised them justice. It was time for them to take it for themselves, and for the two girls who could no longer take it with them. They would get even, and then some.

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

The girls converged on the sorceress and the prone body of her apprentice like avenging angels. Five of them hefted up the apprentice, who groaned but did not wake. The sorceress screamed in indignation, but three more girls gripped her arms and stopped her from casting any more spells. With one great heave, the five girls hurled the apprentice into the crater. They knew the exact moment that he woke; they could hear his screams. Some of them smiled at the sound.

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

The sorceress was more difficult. She fought like a wildcat, hissing and scratching at the girls with her claws. It took the combined effort of them all to restrain her, and then to lift her up.

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“For Inej,” one girl said.

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“For Nina,” said another.

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

With all their might, they threw her into the pit. She screamed and thrashed as she was dragged under, vines curling around her neck, her torso, each of her limbs. It was a slow death. A painful death. It was exactly what she had promised their Queen, and yet, it was worse than what had happened to the two lovers. They had chosen this death. The girls had taken that choice away from the sorceress and her apprentice. (Even, and then some).

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“For us,” said the youngest of the girls, taking her sister’s hand.

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“For us,” the rest of them repeated, watching the writhing sea of thorns slowly calm, and then retreat back into the earth.

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

When the thorns were gone, the bodies they had left behind were clearly visible within the crater. Thrown against its sloping walls were the brutalised corpses of the apprentice and the sorceress, whose diamond necklace glinted beneath the mud it was caked in. In the centre of the crater lay Nina and Inej.

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

Their hands were still interlinked, and they lay curled into one another. Unlike the bloody mess of Heleen’s body, the two of them appeared to be relatively unscathed. There was bruising around each of their throats, indicating that the vines had suffocated them, but if anything it looked as though the sea of brambles had been…kind to them. As though it knew they had not simply chosen death; they had chosen each other. The land had recognised their sacrifice and had rewarded them for it.

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

After a little while, the flowers around the edge of the clearing began to glow once more. Their petals were lifted gently by the wind and carried over to where Nina and Inej lay in their eternal slumber, landing in their hair, in the space between them, surrounding them. It could have been a painting.

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

The girls stayed and sat on the edge of the crater until sunrise, when, for the first time in years, they remained human. Some of them wept, some of them laughed, some of them simply smiled and sent a silent prayer of thanks to the girls whose love had saved them, wherever they were now. Some of them even fancied that as the sun climbed higher into the sky, so did Inej and Nina’s souls.

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

Freedom.

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

The price was steep, but as they basked in the sun, the girls couldn’t help but think it just might be worth it. They would never forget the sacrifice of their Queen and her princess, but perhaps the only way to show their gratefulness was to simply keep on going. To finally live their own lives.

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

All over the Kingdom of Ravka, a change could be felt in the air. There was something kinder in the wind, in its song, something brighter in the eyes of the people. Deep inside the palace, the Queen Regent was about to receive the news that she was to be Queen. The crown had always been hers, even when there was a princess who wore it in her stead, and yet it suddenly felt too heavy for her to bear. She would have no choice but to bear it.

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

It is the prerogative of life to be persistent, even when we least want it to be. Flowers bloom from the cracks in a headstone, weeds grow where there should be no room for them. An enchanted clearing arises from the tears of heartbroken parents. The sacrifice of the princess and the Lynx Queen allowed a group of young girls a chance at a life that had been taken from them, and in return life gave them the ultimate reward.

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

Peace.

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

Whether they were watching over the world from the heavens or whether they had moved on from it made no difference. The nightingales now knew the song of their love, and it would be sung for anyone who cared to listen. Perhaps one day someone would stumble upon that clearing and join them, for the world was made of music, and it dearly loved to sing. Every heartbeat, every breath, every sound and movement made by a living creature; they all formed a symphony of unapologetic life. Nina and Inej had died for that symphony, had died with its melody in their hearts.

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

Their sacrifice would be forgotten someday. Stories lived only as long as those who told them. But nightingales did not forget their songs, and there would always be nightingales there to sing them. As long as there was life, there would be music.

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

And as long as there was music, there would be love.

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _


End file.
